4 
574  •  ON  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  SCAMMONY. 
tity  of  ashes  contained  no  copper,  but  traces  of  iron,  recognized 
by  sulphocyanuret  of  potassium. —  Wittsteins  Viertelj.  Sehr. 
viii.  340—343).  j.  M.  m. 
ON  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  SCAMMONY. 
By  Franz  Keller. 
The  author  has  previously  stated  thatscammony  is  a  glucoside, 
and,  continuing  his  investigations  upon  this  body,  has  found  that 
the  products  of  decomposition  which  he  obtained  from  the  resin 
were  not  pure  substances  ;  he  has  now  obtained  definite  products 
of  decomposition  in  the  following  ways  : — 
1.  Decomposition  of  the  Resin  by  Acids. — If  a  solution  of  the 
resin,  not  too  dilute,  which  has  been  repeatedly  purified  by  ani- 
mal charcoal,  be  mixed  with  an  equal  volume  of  English  sul- 
phuric acid  or  supersaturated  with  muriatic  acid  gas,  the  whole 
of  the  resin  is  completely  decomposed  in  the  course  of  about  8 
days.    If  it  be  then  diluted  with  water,  fatty  crystalline  scales 
separate ;  these  unite  in  flakes,  rise  to  the  surface,  and  subse- 
quently contract  into  a  shining  crystalline  film,  the  individual 
crystals  of  which  belong  to  the  clinorhombic  system.    The  floc- 
culent  body  obtained  by  the  addition  of  water  was  collected  on 
a  filter,  and  washed  with  water.    It  then  usually  appears  of  a 
dazzling  whiteness,  and  when  dried  forms  a  scaly  laminar  mass, 
like  cholesterine.    It  is  fused  again  in  very  dilute  solution  of 
potash,  and  then  repeatedly  in  water,  by  which  means  a  coarse- 
ly radiate  mass  is  obtained,  which  is  insoluble  in  water,  but 
readily  soluble  in  alcohol,  on  the  evaporation  of  which  it  shoots 
into  large,  brittle,  transparent  laminar  crystals  of  the  above- 
mentioned  system.    These  have  at  first  scarcely  any  taste,  but 
gradually  produce  an  unpleasant  sensation  in  the  throat.  The 
alcoholic  solution  has  a  perfectly  neutral  reaction.    When  fused 
upon  water,  the  crystals  flow  into  an  oil  of  a  slightly  yellowish 
color,  which  solidifies  at  80° — 82°  F.,  forming  a  brittle  crystal- 
line mass  with  a  shining  surface,  which  appears  composed  of 
large  laminae,  especially  when  slowly  cooled.    The  analysis  of 
this  body  gave  : — 
C  73-39  73-57  73-63  28  =  168  73-68 
H  12-48  12-55  12-42  28  28  12-28 
0      14-13     13-88     13-95       4       32  14-04 
